Flood-fence.



F. KRUPIGKA.

FLOOD rams. I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1912.

' "1,059,881. l Patented Apr. 22, 1913. t r r W 2BHEE TSSHBET 1.

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outrun s'rn'rns ra'rnnr enrich.

FRANK KRUPICKA, 0F FRIEND, NEBPA SKA.

FLOOD-FENCE.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

A lication filed August 2, 1912. Serial No. 712,947.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK KRUPICKA, a citizen of the United States,residing at Friend, in the county of Saline, State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Flood-Fences; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to fences and par ticularly to the constructionof sections thereof which are adapted to be disposed across valleys orgullies which constitute a drain for large quantities of water duringexcessive rain.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a fence sectionfor the purposes named which is so constructed and arranged that when anexcessive quantity of water is passing through the valley or gullyacross" which the fence section is disposed the pressure of the waterand the drift carried thereby will automatically ,move the fence sectionto a position that will permit the free passage of such water and driftand thereby relieve the fence section from strain and obviate thepossibility of same being washed away.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thedetails of con struction and in the arrangement and combination of partsto be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed outv inthe appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is afront elevation of a fence section constructed in accordance with theinvention the parts thereof being in the position they would normallyoccupy, Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts of the fencesection in the position they would occupy after they have been moved bythe pressure of the water and drift to allow the free passage of suchwater and drift through the fence, Fig. 3, a rear elevation of what isshown in Fig. 2, Fig. 1, a plan view of what is shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 5,a plan view of what is shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 1showing a modified form of the invention particularly adapted forfencing across a relatively narrow valley, Fig. 7, a view, similar toFig. 6, showing the parts of the fence section in the position theywould occupy when same have been moved by the pressure of water anddrift to permit the free passage of such water and drift through thefence, and Fig. 8, a plan view of what is shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings the fence section is shown as comprising asill 10. Secured to one end of the sill 10 are spaced uprights 11 and12, while corresponding spaced uprights 13 and le are secured to theother end of the sill 10. The uprights 11 and 12 are connected togetherat their upper ends by a cross beam 15 and are additionally strengthenedby means of braces 16. Likewise the uprights l3 and 14 are connectedtogether at their upper ends by a cross beam 17 and additionallystrengthened by means of braces 18. Secured to the sill '10 between theuprights 12 and 13 is an upright 19.

The sill 10 and the lower end of the various uprights heretoforereferred to are embedded in the ground across the valley or gully so asto form a frame work of suitable strength for supporting the movableparts of the fence section.

Mounted on the uprights 11 and 12 are horizontally alined journalbearings 20 and 21 respectively in which is rotat-ably mounted a shaft22. The end of the shaft 22 adjacent the upright 19 is provided with across arm 23, while the end of said shaft adjacent the upright 11 hasfixed thereon a collar 24: provided with an inturned tongue 25.Encircling the shaft 22 between the bearin 20 and the collar 24 is acoil spring 26 one end of which bears against the collar 24 while theother end thereof bears against. a washer 27 slidable on the shaft 22.

Loosely mounted on the shaft 22 between the cross arm 23 and bearing 21is a collar 28 which serves to limit the outward longitudinal movementof the shaft 22 under the influence of the spring 26.

' Secured to the cross arm 23 is an angle iron 29 one end of which isconnected by a brace member 30 to the int-urned tongue 25 of the collar24. The other end of the angle iron 29 has secured thereto an arm 31 thefree end of which is directed laterally in a plane at right angles tothe shaft 22 and rotatably supports a weight element 32.

Mounted upon the uprights 13 and 14 are horizontally alined journalbearings and 34 respectively in which is rotatably supported a shaft 35.The end of the shaft 35 adjacent the upright 13 is provided with a crossarm 36 while the end thereof ad'ac'ent the upright 14 is provided with afixed collar 37 having an inturned tongue 38.

Encircling the shaft 35 between the collar 37 and the journal bearing 34is a coil spring 39 one end of which bears against the collar 37 whilethe other end thereof bears againstthe washer 40 slidably arranged onthe shaft ,35 and engaging the outer side of the journal bearing 34.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 35 between the cross arm 36 and bearing33 is a collar 41 which serves to limit the outward longitudinalmovement 35 under the influence of the spring 39.

Secured to the cross arm 36 is an angle iron 42 one end of which isconnected by a brace element 43 to the inturned tongue ,38 of the collar37. The other end of this angle iron 42 has secured thereto an arm 44the free end of which is directed laterally SlIIll? lar to the arm 31and. rotatably supports a weight element45.

' Mounted upon the upright 19 in line with the bearings 21 and 23 is abearing 46 and journaled in this bearing 46 is a shaft 47. Secured toone end of the shaft 47 is an angle iron 48 which is connected to theangle iron 29 by a plurality of fence stringers 49.

i These stringers 49 it will be understood only iron 29.

connect the angle irons 48 and 29 at points remote from the arm 31carried by the angle Secured to the other end of the shaft 47 is anangle iron 50 one end of which is connected to the angle iron 42 bymeans of fence stringers 51 while the other end thereof has securedthereto an arm 52 bent laterally in a manner corresponding to the arms31 and 44 and rotatably supporting at its free end a weight element 53.This angle iron 50 also has secured thereto an arm 54 directed laterallyopposite to the arm 52. Slidably mounted in corresponding ends of theangle irons 48 and 50 are pins '55 and 56 respectively which have theiradjacent ends con- 3 iron 48.

nected together by a link 57. Encircling the pin 55 is acoil spring 58one end of which bears against the head of the pin 55 while the otherend thereof bears against the angle Encircling the pin 56 is v a. coilspring 59 one end of which bears against the head of the pin 56 whilethe other end thereof bears against 'the angle iron 50. By the use ofthe spring; elements 58, 89,39 and p 26 it will be apparent that themovable parts of'the fence section can yield in a direction transverseof the plane of their movement so as to obviate the possibility of suchmovable parts beingsubjected to a breaking strain.

Under normal conditions the parts of the fence are in the position shownin Fig. l.

However, should the weight of water and drift carried thereby becomeexcessive'it will gradually force the lower end of the angle irons inFig. 1 and the fence stringers 49 and 51 outwardly. This movement of theangle irons will at the same time cause the weight elements 32, 45 and53 to move inwardly and when these elements pass inward of the verticalplane of the shafts 22, 47 and 35 they will automatically operate underthe influence of gravity to move the various angle irons to the positionshown in Fig. 2 when the water and drift carried thereby can pass freelythrough the fence. When the Water has subsided the parts of the fencecan be manually returned to the position shown in 1 with the assistanceof the arm54.

In Figs. 6,7 and 8 there is disclosed a fence section adapted for useacross a. relatively .narrow valley orgnlly; In this form of theinvention the sill 10, upright 19 and the various parts connected withthe latter are dispensed with, while the angle irons 29, and

42 are connected together by fence stringers.

(50. As the operation of the movable parts of the fence disclosed inFigs. 6, 7 and 8 is identical with that of the corresponding parts inFigs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, same will not be referred to in detail.

\Vhat is claimed is:

In a flood fence, the combination of spaced.

uprights, shafts journaled on Said uprights and disposed at right anglesto the latter,

arms secured to the adjacent ends of said shafts transversely of thelatter, corresponding lateral extensions on the ends of said Intestimony whereof, I aflix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK KRUPIOKA. Witnesses: FRANK KARREBAUM,

N. F. Manner.

